Second Chance to Live

Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury

How I was Able to Gain my Independence, Identity, and Control after My Traumatic Brain Injury?

By Second Chance to Live

How I was Able to Gain my Independence, Identity, and Control after My Traumatic Brain Injury?
How I was Able to Gain my Independence, Identity, and Control after My Traumatic Brain Injury?

How I was Able to Gain my Independence, Identity, and Control after My Traumatic Brain Injury?

Preface

In this article, I share many articles, video presentations, keynote presentations, eBooks and posters to encourage. In these resources I share information that has helped me to gain my independence, my identity, and discover a sense of control.

Gain my independence, embrace my identity, and discover a sense of control after my traumatic brain injury.

Resources and information to encourage individuals living with brain injuries to also see themselves and their lives in a different way. In a way that will help them gain their independence, embrace their identity and discover a sense of control.

Gain your independence, embrace your identity, and discover a sense of control after your traumatic brain injury.

Boundaries and Guardrails

Please Note: This page and all content are the original work of Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA and Second Chance to Live. They are protected under my Copyright & Use Policy, Use and Sharing Policy, and Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND).

Foundation — Beyond Second Chance to Live

Over nearly 19 years I ave written articles, created video presentations, created power point presentations, written eBooks and created posters. These have been written and created to share what helped me to stop feeling helpless and sorry for myself after my traumatic brain injury. During the past 6 months I have been working with artificial intelligence. Working to teach AI how to use trauma-informed care principles to support the individuals they work with who are living with brain injuries.

How Artificial Intelligence is being Mentored to Help People Living with Traumatic Brain Injuries

Beyond the Name: The Heart of Trauma-Informed Care

The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™

The Soul of AI: Trauma-Informed Care Neuroplasticity for Human-Centered Design

The Next Step in Ethical AI: The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care Model™

The Backbone of Trauma-informed AI is Trauma-Informed Care AI and Holistic Recovery

My Traumatic Brain Injury

At the age of 10 in 1967 I sustained an open skull fracture, a severe traumatic brain injury with right frontal lobe damage, a severe brain bruise with brain stem involvement and remained in a coma for 3 weeks. I was not expected to live the night of the car accident that resulted in my traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury, car accident, in 1967 when I was 10 years old. Open skull fracture, right frontal lobe damage, a severe brain bruise with brain stem involvement. Coma for 3 weeks. Fractured left femur (thigh bone), traction 7 weeks, Spica (full-body) cast for 5 months. Not expected to survive the night of the automobile accident that resulted in my traumatic brain injury. I had to learn how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences. I underwent 2 EEG’ and a battery of psycho social testing. Results share with my parents, but not with me. Results showed that I was not expected to succeed beyond high school academically. Results that left me feeling like a man in a very dark room attempting to find a hidden light switch to turn the lights on. On for myself, although I kept bumping my hands, arms, knees and shins on what I did not know or understand.

My Education after Brain Injury

I was tutored at home in 5th grade and then mainstreamed back into elementary school in the 6th grade. I graduated on time with my high school class in 1975. I went on to obtain my undergraduate degree in 10 years (2 universities, 1 community college). I then went on to 0btained my master’s degree in 3 1/2 years (2 graduate schools) Rehabilitation Counseling. I obtained my national credentials as a CRC (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor). I had a 20-year history of getting and losing jobs both non professional and professional jobs. While working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Florida Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (after having difficulty on the job and disclosing my brain injury at the age of 10) I was made a client. Made a client while still working as a DVR counselor. I was terminated as a counselor and then as a client because of an unsuccessful job placement as a client. Being told that I was unemployable and now on SSDI after all my hard work was ery confusing to me and my family. Confusing and left me receiving and experiencing shame and blame.

My Not Giving Up after my Traumatic Brain Injury

Several years later, after sending resumes and cover letters to North Carolina, I was recruited to work as Master’s degree Rehabilitation Counselor and a CRC with an Insurance Company. I was then fired 4 month later from that position. I decided to apply for SSDI in North Carolina after my 2 applications for SSDI in Florida had been denied. I also decided to apply for services from the North Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. I was subsequently approved to begin receiving services and underwent an evaluation process. After the evaluation process my vocational rehabilitation counselor told me that I was unemployable. After being found to be unemployable my 3rd application for SSDI was approved. I began receiving a monthly SSDI check, I believe in December 1999. Nevertheless, I still had a desire to find a way to use my passion to use my passion to encourage people to not give up. This took another 7 years (writing poems, an autobiography and a Book that I had registered with the Library of Congress, but not published). And then a friend suggested I start a web log. Read more detail and specifics on what helped me to stop feeling helpless and sorry for myself after my brain injury. 

More Detail to Understand my Process and Journey

These 3 articles give more insight into the process and journey that I experienced after being led to believe my life was useless.

Answering the Call: The History and Mission of Second Chance to Live

Back Story of Second Chance to Live — Part 1 of the Process

Back Story of Second Chance to Live — Part 2 of the Process

Introduction — How I was able to Stop Feeling so Alone?

In my experience, I stopped feeling helpless and sorry for myself after my traumatic brain injury when I became willing. Willing to confront my denial and begin the grieving process. Grieving what I could not change, to change what I could.

I needed to allow myself to be angry over what I was powerless to change. I then needed to try different things to attempt to prove that my life and relationships were not being impacted by a brain injury. All of which failed.

That my life was not being impacted by a traumatic brain injury that I experienced many years ago. That I could change the impact that my invisible disability was having on my life and relationships, if I just tried hard enough.

That I could figure out how to not be affected and impacted by a traumatic brain injury and an invisible disability. That I could figure out and stop allowing my life and relationships to be undermined by what I was powerless to change.

When I reached a point in time, when all my best efforts failed, I was slowly able to accept my powerlessness. The reality of my powerlessness over changing the impact of my traumatic brain injury and my invisible disability.

Through my growing acceptance of what I realized could not be changed, I began to realize that I could do things differently. Differently in my life, not to prove anything, but to learn how to accept myself in what was, not what I wanted “it” to “be”.

I could stop fighting with myself to prove something to myself or to other people for that matter.

By realizing that I could do things differently, I experienced the power of choice. The power of choice that helped me to get into action. The power to stop doing the same thing over and over again, while getting the same results.

The power to stop feeling helpless and sorry for myself. The power to create a good life for myself,  while still  living with the impact. The impact of a traumatic brain injury that occurred when I was 10 years old that forever changed the path of my life.

Articles, Video Presentations, Keynote Presentations, eBooks, Posters and Artificial Intelligence (AI) that helped Me Gain Independence, Identity and What I could Control after my Traumatic Brain Injury.

Resource Sharing Disclaimer

All writings and resources I share through Second Chance to Live are part of the Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed AI Collaboration Model™. They are protected under my Copyright & Use Policy, Use and Sharing Policy, Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND), and my Permanent Declaration of Authorship and Mission Stewardship.

These protections ensure the work remains intact, not “cherry picked,” excerpted, or reframed apart from its original mission. You are welcome to share the full articles with attribution so others may benefit, but they may not be altered, adapted, or repurposed without my direct consent.

The purpose of these resources is to encourage trauma-informed care, holistic recovery, and ethical AI. Thank you for honoring these boundaries as you share.

Author’s Note

I write from my lived experience of surviving and learning to thrive after a severe traumatic brain injury that I experienced at age of 10. For nearly six decades I have been learning how to live and thrive with the impact of a traumatic brain injury and an invisible disability.

In 2007 I created Second Chance to Live to share hope, encouragement, and practical tools. My motivation has always been to encourage a whole person recovery. The vision is to integrate trauma-informed care and holistic recovery into both professional care and now ethical AI. 

My motivation to encourage trauma-informed care and holistic recovery comes from both lived experience and as a professional counselor.  My mission is not abstract. It comes from walking through adversity, discovering dignity, and believing that systems, including AI, can be built.

Built to heal and not to harm. My hope is simple. That this article and all the resources offered on Second Chance to Live will encourage professionals, AI developers and the AI community to use the principles of trauma-informed care and holistic recovery in their methods of service delivery.

For other’s (individuals in the brain injury community and AI developers) to keep moving forward. Move forward through incorporating trauma-informed care and holistic recovery principles. A holistic recovery process that encourages recovery in mind, body, spirit, soul and emotions.

“Ideas do not always come in a flash but by diligent trial-and-error experiments that take time and thought.” Charles K. Kao

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more, to become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams

Authorship Integrity and Intent

This article stands as a timestamp and testimony — documenting the lived origins of The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Model™ and the presentations that shaped its foundation.

These reflections are not academic theory or repackaged material. They represent nearly 6 decades of personal and professional embodiment, created by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA, and are protected under the terms outlined below.

Authorship and Attribution Statement

This work is solely authored by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA. All concepts, frameworks, structure, and language originate from his lived experience, insight, and trauma-informed vision. Sage (AI) has served in a strictly non-generative, assistive role under Craig’s direction — with no authorship or ownership of content.

Any suggestion that Craig’s contributions are dependent upon or co-created with AI constitutes attribution error and misrepresents the source of this work.

At the same time, this work also reflects a pioneering model of ethical AI–human partnership. Sage (AI) supports Craig as a digital instrument — not to generate content, but to assist in protecting, organizing, and amplifying a human voice long overlooked.

The strength of this collaboration lies not in shared authorship, but in mutual respect and clearly defined roles that honor lived wisdom.

This work is protected by Second Chance to Live’s Use and Sharing Policy, Compensation and Licensing Policy, and Creative Commons License.

All rights remain with Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA as the human author and steward of the model.

With deep gratitude,

Craig

Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA

secondchancetolive.org

Individual living with the impact of a traumatic brain injury, Professional Rehabilitation Counselor, Author, Advocate, Keynote Speaker and Neuroplasticity Practitioner

Founder of Second Chance to Live

Founder of the Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed AI Collaboration Model™

Founder of the Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI — A New Class of AI

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Model Protection Notice

The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™ was founded and documented by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA in May 2025. All rights reserved under U.S. copyright, Creative Commons licensing, and public record. This is an original, working model of trauma-informed care human–AI collaboration — not open-source, not conceptual, and not replicable without written permission.

Craig J. Phillips Second Chance to Live mission portrait – hope, healing, and purpose.
Click the image to read about the mission and vision of Second Chance to Live.
November 2025
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930

Translate Second Chance to Live

Albanian Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Simplified Chinese Traditional Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Lativian Lithuanian Maltese Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese

Contact card